Indian Institute of science Education and Research
1.About University
Indian Institutes of Science & Research (IISER) are premier public research institutions in India. The institutes were formally established by the Parliament of India through the National Institutes of Technology, Science Education and Research (Amendment) Act, 2010 (an amendment to the National Institutes of Technology Act, 2007). These Institutes are established by Government of India & currently maintained by Ministry of Human Resources Department (MHRD).
The Scientific Advisory Council to the Prime Minister (SAC-PM) under the Chairmanship of Prof. C.N.R. Rao, recommended the creation of five new institutions devoted to science education and research to be named “Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research” broadly on the lines of IISc. Bangalore. All IISERs were declared as Institutes of National Importance by the Parliament of India in 2012 to promote them as leading institutions in the country in the field of basic sciences.
All IISER campuses are residential with state of art kitchen & accommodation facilities built-in vast & beautiful environments to allow students to concentrate better. IISER Bhopal is the only institute that offers the Undergraduate BS program.
Various courses offered as part of BS are:
- Chemical Engineering
- Data Science & Engineering
- Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
- Economic Sciences
There are seven IISERs in India. They are:
| Name of Institute | Place | year | Director | Area |
| IISER Kolkata | West Bengal | 2006 | Prof. Sourav Pal | 201 Acres |
| IISER Pune | Maharashtra | 2006 | Dr. Jayanth B udgaonkar | 98 Acres |
| IISER Mohali | Punjab | 2007 | Dr.Jaya Raman Gowri Shankaran | 125 Acres |
| IISER Bhopal | Madhya Pradesh | 2008 | Prof. Siva Umapathy | 200 Acres |
| IISER Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala | 2008 | Prof. Jarugu Narasimha Murthy | 200 Acres |
| IISER Tirupathi | Andhra Pradesh | 2015 | Prof. K N Ganesh | 250 Acres |
| IISER Berhampur | Odisha | 2016 | Prof. K V R Chary | 200 Acres |
2.Accrediations
IISER institutes have been declared as institutes of Eminence. NAAC & other accreditations have not yet been acquired by these institutions.
3.Salient features
1.IISER Kolkata:
IISER Kolkata was the first IISER established institution in August 2006 with around 201 acres of campus. The institute has around 118 academic staff & 1378 total students’ intake per year. The institute celebrates its annual fest Inquivesta to which students from various parts of the country would attend. Inquivesta is the first & biggest science fest in the country.
IISER K offers a five-year Integrated BS-MS program, MS Program, Integrated Ph.D. program, Ph.D. & Post- Doctoral Programs for the students. Admission into the Undergraduate courses is provided through 3 channels which include
- KVPY
- JEE Advanced
- IISER Admission Test
2. IISER Pune:
IISER Pune institute was established on a campus of 98 acres in 2006 as a premier institute dedicated to research & teaching in the basic sciences. The institute has 136 academic staff who educate around 1500 students every year.
The institute provides Integrated Masters (BS-MS), Ph.D. Programs for the students. The annual fest Karavan attracts large crowds every year. Admission to undergraduate courses is provided only to the students who qualify in KVPY/ JEE Advanced/ SCB+ IISERAT.
3.IISER Mohali:
IISER Mohali has a campus of 125 Acres which was established in 2007 to carry out research in the areas of science & provide quality science education at the graduate &post graduate level. The institutes have 104 academic staff that educate around 1600 students every year. The institute proudly celebrates Insomnia, its annual cultural fest every year.
IISER Mohali offers the Integrated Master’s level (M.S.) The program, Doctoral Program (Ph.D.) and Integrated Doctoral Program (Int. Ph.D.). It offers admission to any undergraduate student who has qualified in KVPY/ JEE advanced / SCB+ IISER AT
4.IISER Bhopal:
IISER Bhopal is situated on a campus of 200 Acres which was established in 2008. It holds an academic staff of around 172 to cater to the needs of 1600 students every year. The institute celebrates its cultural fest Enthuzia& Science fest Singularity every year. Currently, IISER Bhopal offers a BS-MS (Dual Degree) program and a Ph.D. program. Admission to undergraduate courses is provided to anyone who has qualified in KVPY/ JEE advanced / SCB+ IISER AT
5.IISER Thiruvananthapuram:
The IISER Thiruvananthapuram was established in August 2008 on a campus of around 200 acres and is dedicated to scientific research and science education of international standards. The Institute has around 69 academic staff dedicated to teaching around 1100 students that join every year.
IISER-TVM offers five years of integrated MS and Ph.D. programs in Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and inter-disciplinary areas. Admission to undergraduate courses is provided to anyone who has qualified in KVPY/ JEE advanced / SCB+ IISER At.
6.IISER Tirupati:
The Indian Institute of Science Education & Research (IISER) Tirupati was established in 2015 and is dedicated to scientific research and science education of international standards. The institute holds an academic staff of 50 & a total annual student intake of around 210. The institute is in a vast campus of 250 acres in Tirupati.
The institute celebrates its foundation day on 29th April annually. It also celebrates various Symposia to celebrate various subjects & their importance. The institute offers an Integrated Masters (BS-MS), Ph.D. & Integrated Ph.D. Admission to undergraduate courses is provided to anyone who has qualified in KVPY/ JEE advanced / SCB+ IISER AT.
7.IISER Berhampur:
IISER Berhampur is the last IISER institute established in 2016 as a Center of Excellence dedicated to teaching and research in basic sciences.
The institute has an academic staff of 37 & total annual student intake as 150 in all programs. IISER Berhampur offers 5 years BS-MS and Ph.D. programs in an intellectually vibrant IISER Berhampur atmosphere of research. Admission to undergraduate courses is provided to anyone who has qualified in KVPY/ JEE advanced / SCB+ IISER AT.
4.Schools
All the IISER institutes are established to encourage & develop researches in basic Sciences. The Institutes mainly have 5 departments/ schools which offer both Undergraduate & postgraduate programs for students.
- Department of Biological Science
- Department of Physical Science
- Department of Chemical Sciences
- Department of Mathematical Sciences
- Department of Earth Sciences
5.Rankings
| Category | Institute | Ranking Body | Ranks |
| Overall | IISER Kolkata | NIRF | 40 |
| University | IISER Kolkata | NIRF | 25 |
| Overall | IISER Pune | NIRF | 23 |
| International | IISER Pune | TIMES | 800 |
| National | IISER Pune | TIMES | 10 |
| Overall | IISER Mohali | NIRF | 55 |
| Overall | IISER Bhopal | NIRF | 37 |
| Overall | IISER Thiruvananthapuram | NIRF | 58 |
| Top 30 Academic Institutions | IISER Thiruvananthapuram | Nature Index | 4 |
| Top 200 Rising Academic | IISER Thiruvananthapuram | Nature Index | 37 |
6.Seat Allotment
The tentative total number of seats available for the BS-MS program for each IISER (including supernumerary) is 1662 with each IISER having the following number of seats.
| Name of the Institute | No. of Seats |
| IISER Berhampur | 185 |
| IISER Bhopal | 252 |
| IISER Kolkata | 233 |
| IISER Mohali | 239 |
| IISER Pune | 280 |
| IISER Thiruvananthapuram | 280 |
| IISER Tirupati | 193 |
7.Reservation in seat Allotment
SC — 15%, ST — 7.5%, OBC-NCL — 27%. PwD — 5% (supernumerary), KM — 3 seats per IISER (supernumerary), and EWS — up to 10% (as per Government of India rules
8.Eligibility
The main eligibility criteria for the test are the marks of the students in their XIIth class. The following five subjects will be considered for calculating the cut-off marks for fulfilling the eligibility criterion so that the total aggregate marks are out of 500:
- Chemistry
- Physics
- Biology or Mathematics
- One language (if the candidate has taken more than one language course, then the language course with the highest marks will be considered)
- Any subject other than the ones used in the above four (the subject with highest marks will be considered)
After considering four subjects as mentioned in points (i) to (iv), one must consider the subject with the highest marks among all remaining subjects in his/her mark-sheet/grade-sheet. Please note that the subject for point (v) could also be a language course or Mathematics or Biology, provided that it is not being considered in any of the points (i) to (iv), and such that it is the subject with highest marks among all remaining subjects in the mark sheet/grade-sheet
9.IISER Aptitude Test (IAT)
- IISER Aptitude Test is one of the channels for gaining admission to IISER Institutes.
- This test is mainly considered by students of the XIIth class in both CBSE & SSC boards.
- IAT 2020 will be a Computer Based Test (CBT).
- The questions will be Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs).
- The exam will be conducted for 3 hours (180 min).
- Each wrong answer takes away 1 mark & unanswered question doesn’t carry any mark.
| Subjects | Questions | Marks | Total |
| Biology | 15 | 15×3= 45 | 45 |
| Physics | 15 | 15×3=45 | 45 |
| Chemistry | 15 | 15×3=45 | 45 |
| Mathematics | 15 | 15×3= 45 | 45 |
| Total | 60 | 220 |
10.Important Dates
| Event | Commencement Date | KVPY | JEE Advanced | SCB- IAT |
| Application starts | March 4th week | April 3rd week | March4thweek | March 4th week |
| Application end | April 4th week | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Doc uploading last date | May 3rd week | Yes | Yes | yes |
| Exam date | May 4th week | NA | NA | May 4th week |
| Results | June 2nd week | March3rd week | Feb 3rd week | June 2nd week |
| Seat allotments | June 1st to July 4th week | June1st week | June 3rd week | July2nd-4th week |
| Classes Commencement | August 1st week | yes | yes | Yes |
The IISER Aptitude Test is conducted in around 150 centers all over India.
11.Admission Procedure
IISER Institutes provide admission to the Undergraduate & Integrated Master’s program through 3 channels.
- Kishore Vignanic Prothsahan Yojana – KVPY- is a scholarship program funded by the Department of Technology of the Government of India, aimed at encouraging students to take up research careers in the areas of basic sciences. The students who qualify in the KVPY Exam are eligible for a fellowship as well as admissions into institutes like the IISC and the IISER based on additional criteria. This exam has 3 Streams: SA (Class 11), SX (Class 12), and SB (First year BSc). For receiving a fellowship, both aptitude test (75%) and interview marks (25%) are considered. The detailed description of the exam is mentioned in our other article on IISC Bangalore.
- JEE Advanced- Joint Entrance Examination Advanced which is previously IIT –JEE is conducted by any of the 7 zonal IITs in the country under the guidance of the Joint Admission Board (JAB). IISER admits students who have qualified in IIT-JEE Mains & have appeared in IIT-JEE Advanced with their scorecard. Candidates in the General category securing a rank within 10000 in the Common Rank List (CRL) of the JEE Advanced are eligible to apply. For candidates belonging to the reserved category (OBC Non-Creamy Layer, SC, ST&Persons with Disability (PD)), their category rank should be within 10000. Additionally, for admission to the 4-year BS program in Engineering Sciences at IISER Bhopal, candidates must have secured 75% marks (GEN/EWS/OBC-NCL) or 65% marks (SC/ST/PwD) in their Class XII (or equivalent) exams. The detailed description of the IIT-JEE Advanced exam is available in our other article on IIT- JEE.
State and Central Boards (SCB) Channel: Candidates who have passed (10+2) level with science stream with marks equal to or above the cut off percentage in their respective boards eligible to apply for the IISER Aptitude Test (IAT).Candidates applying through the SCB channel will have to appear in the IAT. On the basis of the cut-off marks of IAT for each IISER (which are kept strictly confidential, candidates are allotted IISERs)
12.Fee Structure
The following details of the fee structure include the Hostel fee, Tuition fee, and miscellaneous charges. These figures are approximate values. Please refer to the respective websites for details. SC/ ST students are exempted from paying tuition fee from 2nd semester onwards.
| Institute | Gen/ KM/ | SC/ST semester |
| Kolkata | 3,75000 | 71,500 |
| Pune | 3,50,000 | 50,000 |
| Mohali | 3,10,000 | 60,000 |
| Bhopal | 3,50,000 | 60,000 |
| Thiruvananthapuram | 3,50,000 | 50,000 |
| Tirupati | 3,00,000 | 50,000 |
| Berhampur | 2,50,000 | 60,000 |
Application Link:
https://g06.tcsion.com/EForms/configuredHtml/2245/65044/Registration.html
13.Application fee
There is a non-refundable application fee of Rs.2, 000/- for candidates applying under General, EWS, and OBC-NCL categories, and Rs.1, 000/- for Persons with Disabilities and candidates under SC/ST category. The fee for foreign nationals is USD 100.
14.Seat Conformation fee
The Seat Acceptance Fee amounts to Rs. 35,000/- (Rs.25000/- + Rs. 10000/- (Non-refundable administrative fee)) for General/EWS/OBC-NCL categories and Rs.22500 (Rs.12,500/- + Rs. 10000/- (Non -refundable administrative fee)) for SC/ST/PwD/KM categories.
Application Link:
https://g06.tcsion.com/EForms/configuredHtml/2245/65044/Registration.html[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
